- 200 years
- Study
- International
- Business and employers
- Research
- About us
https://webcdn.mmu.ac.uk/profiles/img/profile-images/Rosamund-Oates-crop-145x145-59f73c1698377.jpg
I teach using a mixture of primary and secondary sources, including diaries, art and drama. I also give lectures and run seminars and workshops, helping you to explore the fascinating period that is early modern Europe.
I give you reading to do each week and encourage you to be confident in developing, exploring and questioning your own ideas. I am on hand to offer advice, direction and help as you need it!
I draw on my own expertise in early modern history and my links with museums in the region to bring 16th and 17thc history to life.
I have a PhD in early modern history from the University of York, and a BA (hons) from the University of Oxford.
I was a lecturer in early modern history at the University of Southampton between 2003 and 2005 before moving to MMU. I have also taught at the University of Sheffield and the University of York.
The period 1450 -1650 was one of seismic change in European history, and the effects that period are still being felt today.
In England, Henry VII seized the throne and established the Tudor dynasty, uniting England and Wales and starting efforts colonise Ireland and unite England and Scotland. Henry VIII broke with Rome, establishing the Church of England and giving the English crown in parliament enormous new powers (see the debate about the 'Henry VIII bill' in Brexit negotiations).
The Reformation, sparked by Martin Luther in Germany, created divisions between Protestants and Catholics and led to invasion attempts like the Spanish Armada in 1588, plots like the Gunpowder plot, and helped to fuel the British Civil Wars in the 17th century.
It was a time of innovation and change with the introduction of the printing press, the discovery of the Americas, the first republic and the execution of King Charles I, and the flowering of political thought about representation and rebellion. There were also enormous cultural developments. English became a literary language, with William Shakespeare, Edmund Spenser, Kit Marlowe and Thomas Wyatt all writing in English. Court painters like Hans Holbein produced images of the Tudor and Stuart Kings and Queens we all know today, and we still celebrate events - like Bonfire night - that were first celebrated in Stuart England.
I run the third year course: 'The Tudors: 1485-1603' which explores the political, cultural and religious history of the period through a range of primary sources.
This popualr course always receives above average satisfaction ratings in student feedback.
I also contribute to Myths of Medieval and Early Modern England (1st year) and Constructing a New World, Europe 1450-1700 (2nd year).
I supervise undergraduate dissertations on Tudor or Stuart England; the Reformation; book or printing history.
Postgraduate Teaching and Research Degree Co-ordinator
I run MA courses which explore 'The Elizabethans' and paleography. I also run sessions on paleography and Latin for historians on the MA skills course.
I am involved in the Arts and Humanities skills sessions for PhD and research students
As Research Degree Co-ordinator for History, please contact me with queries about admissions. I am also able to help with any general problems that arise in the course of your degree, and can distribute news about events and training courses to our postgraduate students and their supervisors.
Recent and Current PhDs include:
Anna Fielding, 'Eating Together: Commensal Dining in Early Modern Houses', (2018--) co-funded with the National Trust
Jess Purdy, 'Reading the Reformation: Parish Libraries and the Practice of Reading in Early Modern England' (2017--) co-funded with Chetham's Library, Manchester
J.A. Hilton, 'The Post-Reformation Catholic Community in the North of England' (PhD awarded 2016)
Christina Brindley. 'Female Piety and the Development of Post-Reformation Catholicism in the Diocese of Chester, 1558-1680' (PhD awarded 2015)
I am also supervising PhDs on Medieval bishops and the Crusades and Catholic literature in the 18th century.
I am able to offer PhD supervision in any of the following areas:
the English Reformation;
post-reformation Catholicism;
Tudor political and cultural history;
the history of readin
I am an expert in Early Modern England (c. 1450-1750), working on the cultural and relgious history of the past. I am currently working on a history of deafness in Early Modern England, supported by a Research Fellowship from Leverhulme (2021-2023). I have recently published an article on Protestant preachers and the development of signed languages for the deaf in Past and Present (open access here).
I lead the Cultures of DIsability Research Cluster at MMU exploring past and present experiences of disability with academics from English, History, Art, Philosophy and Politics. You can find out more about our work here.
With Manchester Council and Manchester Libraries, we are co-hosting a series of public talks to celebrate UK DIsability History Month. You can find out more about the talks here.
We are also co-organising Manchester Council's events to mark International Day of Disabled People (3rd December) at Manchester Central Library.
I helped co-organised Manchester Festval of Disabled History (2020) celebrating 50 years since the Chronically SIck and Disabled Persons Act, which has been nominated for a Pride of Manchester award.
Book History
From 2015-2020 I ran the international reearch collaboration 'Communities of Print', and recently produced a collection of essays on reading history. Rosamund Oates & Jessica Purdy (eds.), Communities of Prints: Books and their Readers in Early Modern Europe (Brill, 2021).
With Dr Nina Adamova, University of St Petersburg, I produced an online exhbition of different copies of the first world history, the Nuremberg Chronicle (1493). Funded by the British Academy, we included examples from UK, Poland and New Zealand and hitherto unknown copies from Russia. The exhbition is online here.
I work closely with libraries and museums in the North West, drawing on my expertise in cultural, religious and book history. These include:
Chethams Library Manchester
National Trust, Lyme Park
John Ryland's Library
Reformation HIstory
Underpinning my research is a fascination with the history of religious change and worship. My most recent publications include:
Rosamund Oates, Moderate Radical: Tobie Matthew and the English Reformation (Oxford, 2018)
Rosamund Oates, 'Martha or Mary: Clerical Marriage in the English Reformation', Journal of Religous History, Literature and Culture (2021).
DIsability History
My interest in deafness and other examples of historical disability has led to collaborations with local organisations interested in disability history or disability. This includes Manchester City Council, Manchster Libraries, Manchester Histories.
Early Modern Libraries and Public History
I collaborate with a number of prestigious libraries and museums in Northern England, drawing on my expertise in cultural, religious and book history. I also work closely with colleagues in the National Trust in the North, including supervising a PhD project with the National Trust on communal dining in Early Modern England.
R. Oates (2018). Moderate Radical. Oxford, U.K: Oxford University Press.
R. Oates (2012). Puritans and the ‘Monarchical Republic’: Conformity and Conflict in the 
Elizabethan Church. The English Historical Review. 127(527), pp.819-843.
R. Oates (2012). Sermons and Sermon-going in Early Modern England. Reformation. 17(1), pp.199-212.
C. Fletcher, R. Oates (2009). Religious Thought, Political Practice, 1200–1600. Cultural and Social History. 6(3), pp.297-304.
R. Oates (2006). Catholicism, conformity and the community in the Elizabethan diocese of Durham. NORTHERN HISTORY. 43(1), pp.53-+.
R. Oates (2006). Catholicism, Conformity and the Community in the Elizabethan Diocese of Durham. Northern History. 43(1), pp.53-76.
R. Oates (2014). Encyclopedia of Renaissance Philosophy. M. Sgarbi. In: Encyclopedia of Renaissance Philosophy. Germany: Springer International Publishing,
RB. Oates (2012). Elizabethan Histories of English Christian Origins. KV. Liere, S. Ditchfield, H. Louthan. In: Sacred History: Uses of the Christian Past in the Renaissance World. OUP Oxford,
RB. Oates (2012). 'For the lacke of true history': Polemic, Conversion, and Church History in Elizabethan England. N. Lewycky, A. Morton. In: Getting Along? Religious Identities and Confessional Relations in Early Modern England. Ashgate Publishing Company, pp.133-154.
RB. Oates A Life in Books: Tobie Matthew's Library. University of York, 13/3/2018.
University of St Petersburg, (Russia, 2019), 'Deafness and the Origins of Sign Language in Early Modern Europe'.
Renaissance Society of America Conference (Toronto, 2019), 'Deafness and Salvation in Early Modern England'.
University of York (2018), 'Tobie Matthew: A Life in Books'
Chetham's Library Manchester ( 2016), ‘Reading together: signs of communal reading practices in Tobie Matthew’s books’.
Notre-Dame University (2010), 'Elizabethan History Writing and the Reformation'.
Calvin College, Michigan, USA (2008) ‘Elizabethan Histories of the Origins of English Christianity’
Recent Conference Papers at International Conferences
Reformation Colloquium (Essex, 2018) 'Preaching and the Senses in Early Modern England',
European Social Sciences History Conference, funded by NL held at Queen's University, Belfast (2018) 'Eating Together: Hospitality and the Clerical Household'.
Remembering the Reformation: Cambridge University (2017) 'The Library as a Memorial of the Reformation'.
Reformation Colloquium, Newcastle University (2016) 'Speaking with Hands: Deafness and Salvation in Early Modern Sermons’
Ecclesiastical History Conference, Christ Church, Oxford University (2011) ‘England the first that embraced the gospell’: Tudor histories of Christianity.
I have organised three conferences:
Touching the Past: Books and their History (Chethams' Library, Manchester 2019)
Communities of Print (Chetham's Library and John Rylands Library, Manchester, 2016)
Religious Thought, Political Practice (University of Cambridge, 2006)
Both had international academics attending and giving papers, and both were funded using money raised from outside bodies.
I am an expert peer-reviewer for a number of journals including Historical Journal, Historical Research, British Catholic History, Court Historian, John Rylands Bulletin of Research
I review books for several journals including English Historical Review and Archiv für Reformationsgeschichte
I have successfully been awarded grants from the following bodies
Reformation (2017-2018)
I have worked with Julianne Simpson, Rare Books Manager at John Ryland's Library to put on the exhibition, Reformation, marking the 500 year anniversary since Martin Luther's attack on the Catholic Church and the start of the Reformation. I have helped to promote the exhibition on social media, and have been involved in events to mark the anniversary.
Information booklet can be seen here
Curator's Corner: I discuss John Foxe's Book of Martyrs in a video here ; Henry VIII's response to Luther here; and Tyndale's 'Obedience of the Common Man' here
John Ryland's Library has a globally significant collection of manuscripts and books, and it is also the most popular Manchester tourist attraction.
York Minster Library: Neuton and the Foundation of the Library (2016)
I was involved in this exhibition, which is mainly an online exhibition hosted by York Minster and the University of York. I was the main contributor for the section on its refoundation in the 17thc, writing several articles and producing an original edition of an Archbishop's will.
https://hoaportal.york.ac.uk/hoaportal/yml1414.jsp
I have written on the continuing effects of the Reformation and the break with Rome on contemporary society. The most recent, 'Brexit's Roots lay in the Reformation' was published in the I-Newspaper and explored the history behind the 'Henry VIII' bill proposed as part of the Brexit process.
I am a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society. I am an elected member of the Bibliographic Society.
I am a member of the Ecclesiastical History Society, the Catholic Record Society, and the Renaissance Society of America